King of clay Alcaraz ends Draper's run in Italian Open

BRITISH number one Jack Draper was knocked out of the Italian Open as Carlos Alcaraz showed his quality under pressure to reach the semi-finals.

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Draper, 23, was beaten 6-4 6-4 on the Rome clay as world number three Alcaraz battled valiantly to save break points at key moments and take his own chances when they came.

Englishman Draper, who is fifth in the ATP rankings, led 4-2 in the first set before Alcaraz fought back to take the lead.

Looking to build on his run to the Madrid Open final last week, Draper recovered in the second set and constantly applied pressure on Alcaraz’s serve.

But he was unable to convert three break points and, after coming through a lengthy eighth game to hold, reigning French open champion Alcaraz ran with the momentum.

“I played with such a high rhythm during the whole match and didn't let him dominate in the rallies,” said Alcaraz.

“It was a good weapon for me and I’m really proud how I approached the match.”